"Groundhog Day"

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Who Says You Can't Go Home?

Well it's been a while, hasn't it.

Four-and-a-half-years can be a lifetime online. The last time I frequented this dusty corner of the Web, Facebook and Twitter weren't as ubiquitous as they are today, I had just turned 40, and I was on a mission to finally and definitively make my mark as a writer.

(To be honest that goal started five years prior after a weekend of drunkenly celebrating my birthday and later receiving a phone call from someone I hadn't heard from in over a decade who threw me for a loop; it's a story for another time and I will write it.)

Suffice it to say that my 40s have been immensely rewarding. I'm (mostly) content professionally; I have a great group of friends who encourage and support me; my family and I have begun to reach some common ground; and I'm dating a smart, sassy, talented, driven and beautiful woman who makes my life better simply by being a part of it and has inspired and encouraged me to become a better man for myself, her and the people around me.

I started building a professional writing career when I was 30 and it's taken me this long to finally feel as though I achieved it. In my role as editor in chief of Chicagoist I'm finally comfortable enough to let others steer the ship for a while and the site has grown by leaps and bounds in my 3-1/2 years at the helm. After all this time and hard work I'm finally ready to enjoy the fruits of my labors and take stock at what I can view these days.

One thing I promised myself this year was to "write more for myself," whatever the hell that means. My girlfriend is a storyteller and has introduced me to the depth and talent in Chicago's live lit scene. (Something I used to partake in often before concentrating on solely writing.) She's a natural on stage and watching her has re-awakened the passion I had for performing and writing to entertain others and uncover truths about myself.

So I'm blowing the dust off this blog, giving it a new paint job and some better furniture, and sitting down to write. What I'll share here is definitely not intended for Chicagoist; I'll rarely mention the site here. While I promise to not wait another 4-1/2 years to update this blog, I won't be posting every day. Or every other day. Mainly I'll be posting when I have something to say. Which is good, don't you think? Keeps you interested.

What I will do is work out some old muscles that have atrophied while chasing pageviews 300-500 words at a time. Some of it will be funny. Some of it may be uncomfortable. But it will be honest and, hopefully, always entertaining.

Saddle up. The last of the hardcore troubadours has returned to sit underneath your window until daylight, Rosalita.